Serena’s ‘Tantrum’: Newspaper Backs Cartoonist Amidst Heated Allegations Of Racism

Controversies arising from the highly disputed US Open Women’s Singles Final refuse to die down with a row erupting over the cartoon depiction of Serena Williams in the Herald Sun.

It has been alleged in many quarters that the cartoon by Mark Knight for Australian newspaper Herald Sun was highly racist and sexist and harked back to the times when racist illustrations were the norm especially in the United States Jim Crow and Sambo era.

The cartoon in question shows Serena Williams throwing a tantrum on court while the umpire is seen in the background urging opponent Osaka to let Serena win. Questions have also been raised over the fact that Japanese Naomi Osaka has been allegedly portrayed as a white woman to highlight the racist bias supposedly inherent in the cartoon.

The cartoon has drawn condemnation from prominent people like Rev. Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights activist and best selling author JK Rowling joining the ranks of sports journalists and broadcasters in criticising the Herald Sun for carrying the offending cartoon.

The Herald Sun has however refused to back down with the editor of the newspaper supporting the cartoonist in question and stating that the depiction was not racist but only sought to highlight the petulance and bad behaviour of the tennis star.

The editor of the newspaper said that, “a champion tennis player had a mega tantrum on the world stage, and Mark’s cartoon depicted that. It had nothing to do with gender or race”.

The cartoonist has said that he is “amazed” at the reaction and claimed that the “world has just gone crazy”.